OPERATIONS at the Tazara-Zambia Railway Authority have been grounded following the decision by the workers to go on strike in as many times.

Management at Tazara have with immediate effect suspended all train operations between Dar es Salaam and New Kapiri-Mposhi, stating this was as a result of the long standing operational challenges, and the railway company’s financial problems which had reached crisis levels.

Management said in a statement yesterday that the Authority had been unable to meet most of its operational costs, the bulk of which included expenses for running spares for locomotives and rolling stock, fuel, and salaries which had forced the employees to go on strike. The statement said in the last few months, Tazara management had appealed to employees to exercise patience while long-term and sustainable solutions were being sought in order to end the perennial operational challenges but the workers had resolved that they would no longer wait for the promised solutions.

“In the lst few months, management had appealed to the employees to exercise further patience whilst long term sustainable solutions were being sought in conjunction with the shareholders in order to end the perennial operational challenges.

However, the employees in both regions of Tanzania and Zambia communicated to the Authority that they would no longer wait for the promised solutions and opted to down tools to press for the immediate payment of unpaid salaries covering the last five months,” the statement said.

Management has since instructed all rail stations to refund passengers who were booked to travel on our passenger trains this week.